Sing Anyway
by Just Cy
Summary: "Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway." Emory Austin. Lettuce's health takes a hit while she's away at school and Masaya is naturally concerned. How will they deal with this? Sequel to "I Thought You Said You Loved Me"


I was living in an apartment in London at the age of 23, it seemed odd to be here, away from Japan, especially after getting my Bachelors degree in English from the University of Tokyo. But I was here to further my understanding so I could be a better teacher. I loved kids, and I want to do something that will help them, and teaching them how to speak the most common language on the planet seemed like a helpful sort of thing to do. So here I was in London, attending Cambridge University.  
It was getting late, I had just finished a paper, and I was thinking of getting ready for bed. After all, I did have class the next day. The phone rang and I quickly answered, "Hello?"

"Is this Lettuce?" I heard a smooth voice say my name, and recognizing my boyfriend's voice I felt like melting with excitement.

"Yes, I'm really glad you called Masaya," I told him, a goofy grin spreading across my face.

"It's good to hear you voice, are you free tonight?" he asked and I felt my heart sink, he knew I was away, why would he ask me that?

"Well, I'm in London, but apart from that there's nothing going on."

He chuckled, "As if I could forget, though I guess I do forget that while it's three o' clock here it's eleven o' clock for you."

"Yeah, but it's not a big deal. I miss you," I told him with a soft smile that I knew he could hear even though he couldn't see me. There was a knock at the door, "Hold on a second," I told him before he could continue. I couldn't imagine who would be knocking at this hour, when the white door had swung open and I could see the person standing there my phone crashed to the floor, my jaw trying to follow.

"I've missed you too," a smooth voice said, and I smiled at him before snaking my arms around his neck. I couldn't believe he was here. I then felt something poke me and realized I was crushing a bouquet of roses.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, pulling away reluctantly, to take a hold of the flowers and get them in water.

"Visiting, may I come in?"

"Of course," I smiled and after the roses were in water I turned back to him and he wrapped his arms around me.

"Happy three o' clock," he told me with a large grin spread across his beautiful face. I yawned and he laughed at the blush that spread across my face. I enjoyed being with him, but I was _awfully_ tired. "Would you like to go to bed?" he asked me. It was sweet that he was so selfless, but I couldn't let him be _that_ selfless, he had come all this way to see me after all.

"But you came all this way," I said, and then I got an idea, "have you checked into your hotel yet?" I asked him and could feel my cheeks burning already.

"Not yet, my bags are in the car I rented for the two weeks I'm here," he told me, and the laugh I could see him suppressing told me he was greatly amused by my blush and he knew the cause of it, but loved seeing me squirm, so he of course asked, "why do you ask?"

"Well, if you wanted, you could stay here," I said and felt my heart racing, it was so loud I wondered if Masaya could hear at well, the smile on his face indicated that he could.

"Only if you're comfortable with that," he said and stroked my cheek. I leaned against him, and smiled, I could feel my heart rate go down, and I could tell he could too, "I'll go get my bag," he said and kissed my forehead. I went into my room and changed into a white camisole and black yoga pants, I let my hair out of the messy bun I had grown used to wearing it in. I wanted to look younger yet still a little professional. Zakuro had recommended the particular cut and taught me how to style it. I took out my contacts and smiled when I heard a knock at the door.

"Come on in," I tried to say, but an overwhelming pain in my chest sent me to the floor before I could even open my mouth. I started coughing and didn't even hear the door open, but realized that it must have because Masaya was right next to me.

"Lettuce, what's going on?" he asked, and I wanted to tell him everything would be fine, but I couldn't stop coughing and the pain was too much for me to believe that myself much less tell him. "I'm calling an ambulance," he told me and I grabbed his hand, and shook my head. He looked so worried about me, "Fine, but we're going to a doctor tomorrow." The pain started to fade, and so did the coughing.

"Ok, let's just go to bed," I said, sinking against him. I was shocked when he picked me up, but I felt safe, like nothing could really be that bad. "Thank you," I told him, and he smiled at me. He laid me down on the bed and laid down next to me.

"I love you," he told me, and my breath still caught at that phrase, but I also knew that as many times as he said it there was no doubt in my mind about my feelings for him.

"I love you too," I told him and smiled at him. He kissed me and my hand went to the necklace he gave me the first time he had told me that, and traced the shape. It was a simple necklace, a green transparent crystal suspended on a golden chain. "It's still lovely," I told him.

"Not as lovely as you," he told me, and my cheeks grew red at the cheesy line. I knew it was too dark for him to see, but I was heard him chuckle, he knew me so well. I started to laugh too, but after a cough, I stopped, and so did he. "Why don't we just go to bed?" he suggested.

"Sounds good to me," I said and tried to ignore the pain in my chest. I snuggled close to Masaya and eventually drifted off. I tossed and turned as I continued to try to find a position where breathing was comfortable, I tried taking a deep breath, but that only made things worse. I sat up in bed and my breathing started to return for a moment before I started coughing. I heard the person next to me stir and held my breath to try to let him go back to sleep.

"Lettuce, are you ok?" he asked, now on his side looking at me, I let out another breath and grunted as a wave of pain hit me and I started to cough yet again.

"Yeah, go back to bed," I eventually told him. He put his hand on my shoulder, and I felt worse about making him worry than I did about the actual pain. He wrapped his arm around waist, and I wished more than anything that we could just stay like that forever. I fell asleep quickly, but the morning came too quickly, I could see the light pouring in, but I was so tired from the various coughing fits that had disturbed my sleep.

"Good morning, sunshine," I heard Masaya whisper. I turned to face him, and he looked like he was wet, then I realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. My face turned a dark red and he laughed, and kissed my forehead. "Come on, you need to get up, I found your doctors number on the fridge and gave them a call, you have an appointment at 2."

"What time is it?" I asked with a yawn, and a smile, he cared a lot.

"Eleven, I left you some hot water, I'll get breakfast ready," he told me with a wink. I couldn't believe I slept til eleven. I laughed and got out of bed, stretching my arms as he walked out of the room.


End file.
